Castor Introduces Bill to Accelerate Care for those with Metastatic Breast Cancer

Representative Kathy Castor (D-FL) reintroduced the Metastatic Breast Cancer Access to Care Act, a bill that provides “immediate access to support and medical care for individuals with metastatic breast cancer (MBC) who already qualify for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and are therefore eligible for Medicare.”

The Metastatic Breast Cancer Access to Care Act is a bipartisan effort as Representative Andrew Garbarino (R-NY) helped reintroduce the bill.

Currently, those qualified for SSDI must wait five months for it to take effect and two years for Medicare benefits to kick in. According to Rep. Castor’s press release, the average life expectancy of someone with MBC is three years.

“The statistics are startling. In 2022, it is estimated that 43,780 people died from breast cancer in the United States - 90 percent as a result of metastatic breast cancer,” said Rep. Castor. “To save lives and improve breast cancer outcomes, we must invest in treatments and cures and increase access to affordable, quality care for individuals with MBC. Immediately connecting recently-diagnosed individuals with access to treatment can improve outcomes, and our bipartisan bill would eliminate barriers and reduce current health disparities in care. People diagnosed with MBC should not have to worry about long waiting periods for eligibility to care and I look forward to working with my colleague, Rep. Andrew Garbarino, to deliver financial security and critical care to families.”

Moreover, Rep. Garbarino stated that this issue is “deeply personal” as he attempts to help his constituents and Americans around the country find relief during their troubling times.

"In New York, over 16,800 women are diagnosed with breast cancer each year and about 2,500 women die from the disease annually. Long Island has among the highest occurrences of breast cancer in the country," said Rep. Garbarino. "These numbers and the real people they represent make this issue deeply personal for me and for my constituents. Roughly 90% of breast cancer deaths are a result of metastatic disease and the life expectancy of an individual with metastatic breast cancer is anywhere between 4 and 36 months. Given this timeframe, it is outrageous to double the suffering of those living with this horrible disease by making them wait to gain access to health benefits that they are immediately eligible for. This bill waives these onerous waiting periods, relieving the potential financial burden on those with the disease, and allowing them to focus on fighting the cancer."

During the 117^th Congress, the Metastatic Breast Cancer Access to Care Act received 240 House co-sponsors and 29 Senate co-sponsors.